Jamey Garner debuts musical tribute at Wounded Warriors event
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Former Chesterite Jamey Garner, who now resides in Dallas, TX, performed Saturday, October 9, along with his band, American Outlaw, at the third annual Texas Wounded Warriors "Cost of Freedom" event, held at the K.E. Bushman center in Bullard, TX. According to a spokesman, the Texas Wounded Warriors organization assists the warriors and their families in a time of need by providing funds to defray costs of living, enabling them to be close together while these veterans are hospitalized with injuries upon return from combat. "This organization strives to ensure that these courageous men and women are never forgotten, are honored and are recognized for their sacrifices made on behalf of this great nation," the spokesman said.
Pierre de Wet, owner of recording Studio 333 and of K.E. Bushman's in Bullard, teamed up with singer/songwriter Jamey Garner and his band, American Outlaw, to provide a special tribute for the men and women of the armed forces. "When Pierre asked me to write a song for the wounded warriors, I jumped at the opportunity," Garner said. Having a deeply rooted appreciation for the efforts of America's troops, he said he "took this as an opportunity to give back to the troops through my music."
Garner stated that after doing some research for this tribute, the vision for his song quickly took a turn. Originally planning to create a big and bold patriotic anthem, as he scratched the surface of this issue, he found that the meaning went much deeper. "Once I began reading and hearing specific stories of our soldiers' sacrifices, the verses of the song came pretty quickly. I feel like this is a representation of what the Wounded Warrior program is really here to do," he said. "The song is written from the position of a soldier; it's honest and focused on the strength of these men and women," he said. Garner debuted the new song, "That's What Soldiers Do", during the Wounded Warrior event on Saturday, Oct. 9. "The song was enthusiastically received with a rousing standing ovation by those in attendance!" said Garner's mother, Gwendy Garner of Chester, who attended the event.
The "Cost of Freedom" event opened with an outdoor ceremony, complete with a military air show and skydivers and speaking by General Paul E. Funk, General Robert Dickerson, General Paul Landers, General Red Brown and organizer Pierre de Wet.
The indoor portion of the evening began with a musical performance by Garner and American Outlaw, followed by dinner, oral and silent auctions. In addition to Garner and American Outlaw, musical performances were given by singer/songwriter Dillon Dixon, Rick Seratte, formerly of the band White Snake, and Nashville recording artist Linda Davis.
The evening closed with all performers joining onstage to sing a medley of patriotic numbers.
Garner has a long-time career in the entertainment industry and he is known for his distinct vocal sound and skill on the harmonica. He has traveled all over the United States performing and creating music. He and his current band, American Outlaw, are based in the Dallas metroplex area. Information on Garner and American Outlaw may be obtained at www.americanoutlaw.net.